2018 FIA GT Nations Cup

Race details
Date 1 December 2018
Official name Bahrain GT Festival
Location Bahrain International Circuit, Sakhir, Bahrain
Course Permanent racing facility
5.412 km (3.363 mi)
Distance Qualifying Race 1
60 minutes
Qualifying Race 2
60 minutes
Main Race
60 minutes
Qualifying Race 1
Pole
Driver Mike den Tandt Belgium
Time 2:01.397
Fastest lap
Driver Mike den Tandt Belgium
Time 2:02.538 (on lap 6)
Podium
First Mike den Tandt
Charles Weerts
Belgium
Second Ayhancan Güven
Salih Yoluç
Turkey
Third Matteo Cressoni
Piergiuseppe Perazzini
Italy
Qualifying Race 2
Pole
Driver Charles Weerts Belgium
Time 2:00.136
Fastest lap
Driver Jim Pla France
Time 2:03.816 (on lap 5)
Podium
First Ayhancan Güven
Salih Yoluç
Turkey
Second Chris Buncombe
Chris Froggatt
United Kingdom
Third Nico Bastian
Alexander Mattschull
Germany
Main Race
Pole
Driver Salih Yoluç Turkey
Fastest lap
Driver Ayhancan Güven Turkey
Time 2:02.379 (on lap 18)
Podium
First Ayhancan Güven
Salih Yoluç
Turkey
Second Chris Buncombe
Chris Froggatt
United Kingdom
Third Johnny Laursen
Nicklas Nielsen
Denmark

The 2018 FIA GT Nations Cup was the first edition of the pro–am FIA GT Nations Cup Grand Touring (GT) sports car race held at the Bahrain International Circuit in Sakhir, Bahrain on 1 December 2018. The race was contested with GT3-spec cars entered by teams representing nations. Only Silver and Bronze-rated drivers were allowed to compete. The event promoters were the Bahrain Motorsport Federation (BMF) and the SRO Motorsports Group (SRO). For the following year the event was reformatted as the multi-discipline FIA Motorsport Games.

The duo representing Turkey Ayhancan Güven and Salih Yoluç won the main race sharing a Mercedes-AMG GT3 run by Ram Racing from pole position after scoring the fewest number of points in the two preceding qualification races. Turkey led the start of the race before being overtaken by the United Kingdom team of Chris Buncombe and Chris Froggatt. The nation was able to reclaim the lead from the United Kingdom and maintained it to win the FIA GT Nations Cup by three seconds. Denmark's pair of Johnny Larsen and Nicklas Nielsen completed the podium in third position.